When starting a business, you, the owner, are the most critical component of the venture because everything evolves around you and what you are trying to accomplish from the moment you make the decision to move on your idea.
Selling yourself and your business is a big challenge, but it is a great opportunity for you to make your company visable and to build something from an idea and to have it mature into a viable structure.
The responsibility falls on you to let the public know that your business exists, which means doing whatever it takes to generate a positive awareness.
You have to create an aura of excitement about your business, your product and or your services. It is critical to reach out and touch your clientele and you must make a good impression on them, if you want them to do business with you.
Learn what your customer's motivations are and how to respond to them. You want your customers to keep coming to you, instead of your competitors, so you have to set yourself apart from the competition.
An old business saying is that the customer is always right. Keep that in mind because it may prove to be a valuable part of your business practice.
When customers spend their money at your establishment or contract for your services, they feel that they have the right to voice their opinions so give them that right.
There are many ways to generate publicity for your business, starting with open houses, signs and banners, flyers, press releases, direct mailers and door to door introductions.
Always carry and hand out your business cards. Business cards are probably the most inexpensive form of advertising and it gives you the opportunity to start conversations with people you don't know to introduce yourself and your business.
Networking is also a valuable tool for new businesses because it gives you the opportunity to introduce yourself to others and let them know what your business is all about.
It also gives you the opportunity to talk with other business owners who are already established and it's a good way to learn about what worked for them and what didn't.
The most important thing to remember about starting a business is knowing and believing in the products and services you are trying to sell because customers are going to ask questions and you need to know the answers or know how to get the answers.
Note: Have you ever asked a salesman a question about something that he is trying to sell you and half way through his explanation, you realize that he has very little understanding of the product? If so, you probably hesitated to buy the product or you didn't buy it at all.
It's not wise to try to give answers or advice if you are not sure that what you are saying is true. There is nothing wrong with saying that you don't know the answer to a question.
The best way to handle a situation like this is to tell the customer that you are not sure of the answer but you will find out and get back with them.
Meeting the customer's needs are imperative for a business to succeed. You have to make the customer feel that your business is the one that makes the difference and honesty is truly the best policy.